To Share Festivala
by Ry On High
Summary: When told to take her Cynthia with her to the Grand Festivala, Lucina learns a lesson on how to be a good older sister.


_AN: This story was created as a submission to the Grand Festivala Fan Fiction Contest on the Fire Emblem: Awakening Amino. Check it out, it's an awesome community and I absolutely love every moment I spend there! With that out of the way, enjoy..._

Lucina stretched, yawning after having woken up. She looked around her room, the sun shining through her window as it lit up her floor in a brilliant show of yellow shine. She threw her comforter off herself, stepped into her slippers, and stood up, her azule hair messy from lying in bed all night. Not bothering to take off her pajamas, she opened the door to her room and began walking towards the stairs. Down the flight of stairs and to the right, as per usual, knowing the palace like the back of her hand, her hunger led her.

Lucina walked into the kitchen, smelling something cooking. She saw a tall, brunette knight cooking breakfast. "Good morning, Frederick." She said, used to his constant taking care of her and her family.

"Good morning, Princess Lucina." Frederick responded, warm yet serious. I have prepared eggs and bacon this autumn morning, along with a side of english muffins with raspberry jam, so you and the others are well suited for the day ahead."

"Thank you, Frederick." She grabbed a seat at the table. "But, eggs and bacon? Isn't there anything else we can eat? Like the time you made french toast with the cream in the middle?" Lucina salivated at the thought of such a meal.

"I think not, princess. You are thirteen now and must get used to eating healthy meals in order to become a strong and capable warrior. Meals are the cornerstone of your health, and weakness would do nobody any good, quite literally."

"Not even one breakfast?" Lucina begged.

"Not even one." The knight-butler shook his head. "Besides, today is the Grand Festivala. You may eat an assortment of confections there, but only if you eat well here."

"Was it worth a shot?" She shrugged as she asked.

"I'm afraid not."

A few minutes of awkward silence between the two followed. The only noises were the sizzling of breakfast on the oven, and Frederick cracking more eggs or setting out more bacon. Sumia walked in, still wearing her night gown and stockings, and sat down next to her daughter. "Good morning, Frederick. How is my little girl doing?"

"I am fine, mother. How are you?" Lucina was waiting for an opportunity to ask the question.

"I'm doing well, myself. Thanks, Lucy." Sumia responded.

"Well, I have to ask, mother. Is it possible I could go to the Grand Festivala with Severa and Brady?" Lucina was straight backed and put on her best begging eyes.

"Well…" Sumia paused. "...I think that...maybe...ask your father." She finished. "I'm not in the mood to answer that, I just woke up."

"FESTIVALA? I wanna go!" Cynthia ran in, excited at the mention of the grandiose event. "I can't wait to go!" She began running around the kitchen before tripping up and falling flat on her face.

"Cynthia, are you alright?!" Sumia left her seat, quickly attending to her clumsy daughter.

"I'm fine, mother. Must be my stockings, they're quite slippery." She said, excusing herself just as Sumia would as she picked herself up and wiped herself off. "Anyway, Festivala!"

"Cynthia, we will see about Festivala." She attempted to calm her daughter down. "Right now, your father and I have some important business to attend to."

"Aww, what's more important than your daughter's happiness?" Cynthia begged.

"The wellbeing of the country we live in. You can sacrifice one day at Festivala if we need to make sure that Ylisse is safe." Sumia calmly replied.

"Maybe you can stay and father can go with the others." Lucina suggested.

"Well, your father and I work best as a team, and…just wait for your father." Cynthia sat back down, already tired from arguing so early.

"Breakfast is finished," Frederick said, "I shall begin serving it." He handed out plates for all four members of the family, including the absent Chrom, and a plate for himself. He then filled each plate with plenty of eggs and bacon. "I may not personally excel at cooking, but a capable retainer needs to know how to prepare meals."

Lucina took her first bite. "Mbank bou, Frebrick." She said, little bits of egg spilling out of her mouth.

"Lucy, you should know to speak only when you have swallowed your food." Sumia advised.

"Yes, mother." She said after swallowing. After a few moments of silent eating, each one enjoying their meal, the Exalt walked in, fully armored and prepared for travel. Of course, the girls knew him better as something else.

"Good morning, Father." Lucina and Cynthia said in near unison, Cynthia with a piece of bacon still in her mouth. Lucina waited for her to be reprimanded, but her mother had already stood up and went to hug her husband.

"Good morning, milord." Frederick saluted from his seat.

"Good morning, honey." Sumia embraced him.

"Good morning, Sumia, Lucina, Cynthia, Frederick." Chrom tried his best to address everyone he could see over his wife's gray hair. "How is everyone?" He received a chorus of answers, ranging from, "Great, father!" to "I am well, father." to "We are fine, honey." to "Well, this morning, milord." He smiled. "It is good to hear that from all of you."

"Father, why are dressed like that? What's going on?" Cynthia tilted her head, curious. Chrom hesitated to respond.

"Well, there is some bad news. In a nearby town, north of Southtown, there has been a bandit attack. They seem to be going from village to village raiding because of Festivala, and they know there will be plenty of loot." He frowned.

"But, that's not going to happen here, is it?" Lucina asked.

"Well, that is what we are going to ensure. But your mother and I must go, it requires the shepherds."

"So, does that mean no Grand Festivala?" Lucina looked down at the floor disappointedly.

"Well, I suppose it…" Chrom paused. "You may go." Lucina looked back up at him, beaming. "Under one condition. You must have Frederick accompany you there, as I will not have my daughters being hurt." Lucina still smiled, but then grew a little doubtful.

"What? 'Daughters?'" She asked.

"Yes, 'daughters.' Cynthia will being going with you." Lucina's expression broke, while Cynthia gave a "Woohoo!"

"What? But I had plans with Severa and Brady!"

"And I am sure your plans can wait. We will be putting your safety first."

Lucina sighed. "I understand. Thank you, father."

Frederick turned to the saddened child. "It will be the five of us, making sure that we will be having as much fun as possible in the safest way possible." He gave a rare smile. "I promise you, it cannot be too bad."

It was that bad.

At least, according to Lucina.

She had planned to spend the entire night hanging out with Brady and Severa, but of course she had to drag along Frederick and Cynthia. Frederick wordlessly marched behind them, cautious of each and every passerby, while Cynthia was skipping just ahead of them.

Each one was wearing a specialized yukata; Lucina's was a deep royal blue and was marked up and down by the same brand she had in her left eye. Cynthia's was a bright pink, and it was dotted with a small pattern of flying pegasi. Frederick wore a simple yukata with a light blue coloring, much like his armor. In fact, a clanging sound could still be heard as he walked, indicating he wore some under his yukata. Severa was actually sporting one of her mother's yukata: an oversized white one with burgundy on the side and a small cherry blossom pattern. Being the son of Mirabelle, Brady was forced to wear an actual, silk kimono. It was black and flowing, other than the white stripe that struck diagonal down the center.

Lucina turned to Brady, who stood on her left. "It's nice of you to be here, Brady." She smiled at him.

"Thanks, but my ma doesn't enjoy me spendin' time among these 'commoners,' as she calls 'em." He sighed. "The only reason she let me come is 'cos you'd be here."

"Really?" Severa asked. "At least your mother would let you come! My mother wanted me to stay home while she was out with the shepherds." Lucina blinked.

"Doesn't that mean you should be at home?" She questioned.

"How can she enforce her rules when her and father aren't home?" She grinned.

"It is unwise," Frederick interrupted, "to not listen to your parents. They know what is best for you."

"Oh, yeah?" Severa turned to him. "Then why don't you take me home?"

"I am under strict orders to allow both of milord's daughters to have a 'fun time.' It would be difficult for me to keep over them whilst delivering you home, and I will not jeopardize their fun by taking them with me. You will face your parents when they return." Severa merely crossed her arms, wearing a frown.

They passed a Kabuki stage putting on a show, and Brady's eyes lit up. "Oh, there showing a play! We should go see it." Lucina nodded in agreement.

"I think a show would be nice."

"Fine, I wouldn't mind going to a show." Severa agreed reluctantly.

"Except, we won't be." Frederick cut in. The other three turned their heads.

"What?" Brady looked at him. "But...but they only perform once a year! You gotta let me see this." In response, Frederick stepped up to the man at the stage's entrance. "Excuse me, but what is the age limit for this show?"

"Ehh, it's quite violent. I don't think they want anyone under the age of...twelve coming to see it."

"You see." He turned to the children. "Cynthia is simply too young to be seeing the show." He paused before interrupting Lucina before she could argue back. "And I won't be letting you three alone in there, unprotected. Now, let's find something fun for _all_ of us." Lucina sighed in disappointment and Brady looked on in sadness as they left the theater area.

They walked for a few more minutes before they stopped by a huge hedge maze. "Ha, I bet I could get through this maze faster than the rest of you." Severa bragged.

"Oh yeah?" Brady asked. "I'm sure you couldn't even find your way back out."

"You're on." Severa smirked as she ran in. Brady and Lucina followed. Frederick looked to Cynthia. "Did you want to try it, Cynthia?"

"Sure!" she said. She went in, stumbling once she entered but getting back up. Frederick walked back around to the exit on the other side.

Lucina split off to the right branching path. She had been through the maze before, but that was years back...she kept running. Left, left, right, straight, she smiled as she rounded corners, knowing she'd be the first one out. Right, left, straight, left, right...dead end? She turned around and took a left out. Running. Sprinting. Turning. She eventually found herself at the end, her arms up in victory! "Look at that, Frederick! I've won."

Frederick paid her little attention, however, as he looked upon the maze concerned. "Shh…" he held a finger to his lip. A cry for help came from the maze. "Cynthia…" was all Frederick said as he dashed into the maze. Lucina stared on in fright as she watched the maze, waiting for her sister and father's retainer to return. Severa appeared out, her face pale, and soon after Brady surfaced as well. They were both scared.

Minutes passed. Lucina did nothing but watch the exit. Suddenly, the brunette knight came out, a blubbering Cynthia in tow. "We are fine." The three young teens sighed in relief. "One thing is for sure, we are not doing the maze again."

The three didn't object. As they walked off, Severa turned to Lucina. "Looks like you won, huh?"

"None of us won, after that." Lucina simply stated. They kept walking.

Cynthia pointed to an ice cream stand, wiping her teary cheeks and runny nose with her sleeve. "P-Please?" she asked Frederick.

"Fine." The knight replied. "Do you three want anything?" Lucina nodded.

"I'll have chocolate chip." The blue-haired princess said.

"Butter pecan?" Brady asked.

"Just give me rocky road." Severa almost disregarded the offer.

"Can I have vanilla?" Cynthia begged Frederick. "It's m-my favorite."

Frederick nodded and turned to the man at the stand. "Very well, I'll order five cones. One chocolate chip, one butter pecan, one rocky road, one vanilla, and one swirl." The man nodded and began making the cones. His co worker approached Frederick. "That'll be 25 gold, please."

The retainer produced as much from inside of his yukata and handed it to the man behind the counter. "Thank you, sir. Enjoy your ice cream!" The other man began handing out the cones. At this Cynthia smiled.

"Thanks, Frederick!" Cynthia beamed as she got her ice cream, her sadness quickly melting away when she licked her cone. The other three followed with their own thank you's, as well. "Thank you, Frederick." "Thank you, Freddy!" "Thanks, Frederick, sir."

Frederick cleared his throat. "Brady, please refrain from calling me 'Freddy.'" Brady nodded frightenedly, and he turned away as the other three began walking off, though Lucina could swear she saw an invisible smile on the knight's face.

Cynthia skipped ahead of them, giggling as she ate her ice cream. "We're gonna do so much for the rest of the night. Sorry for crying in the maze, I just got scared that-" she turned around quickly, bumping into Lucina. Her cone had slammed into her sister's yukata, staining the cloth and leaving a permanent mark over the design, and Lucina's ice cream fell to the ground.

Lucina's eyes widened. "My...my yukata...the ice cream…" she stepped backwards. She looked back over the scene, the stain on her robe, her chocolate chip ice cream covered in dirt. She wanted to scream, but instead she ran off, tears in her eyes.

Cynthia watched as her sister left, and in a panic of guilt and regret, trudged away tearfully as well. Frederick, not sure which to comfort first, went for Cynthia. When Lucina noticed this, she muttered to herself, "Of course…"

Lucina rushed into a nearby bathroom, crying tears of self-pity. _Why would he ignore me like that? Is father's little "Pega-pony princess" really that much more important than me? Why can't I just enjoy my time with my friends without her interfering?_ Her tears began to slow, but she was still bitter as she wiped them off leaving her stall. When she stepped out, an armored, young man was there, wearing a mask. His hair was a strangely the same color as her father's, but she didn't think to question it.

"Excuse me, young lady." The man spoke in a rough, false baritone voice. "I couldn't help but notice how upset you are. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Lucina protested. "What do you want with me?" she asked as she walked away.

"Did something happen with you and your sister?"

"Stay out of it!"

"Don't do this to Cynthia."

Lucina stopped and turned around. "How do you know her name? Who are you, creep?"

"I was a shepherd, for your father." The man said. "We worked together, ate together, fought together. My sister was also a shepherd and was a pegasus knight, much like yours aspires to be."

"What does this have to do with anything?" She asked, still upset but now listening.

"Your sister is important, and not just because she's the princess, but because she's your sister." He advised. "You have to treat her well and spend time with her. If you don't, you'll regret it forever."

"No...I...I won't!" She protested. "My parents already do everything she wants, and they'll make me hang out with her whether I want to or not."

"You still must set aside time for her." He sighed. "Look, everything was taken away from me when I was younger. My mother, my father, my future. My sister was all I had of my family, and so I treasured every moment I had with her. She could have been taken away from me at any moment, and so I made sure we always spent time together. One day, I nearly fell in battle myself, until she rushed to my aid. She herself was wounded in the process, but we recovered together and now we are both alive."

"So, I should spend time with my sister now in case I lose her?"

"Because someday you may lose everything, and she'll be all you have."

Lucina nodded. "I...I understand, now. I love Cynthia, but sometimes it's hard when Mother and Father give her everything."

"I don't believe they neces-" The young man was cut off by a shrill scream in the distance, and a man shouting, "Stay back!"

The knight-butler's silver sword glinted in the festival light as he held it defensively in front of him and Cynthia. His anger only shown through the furrowed brow and scowl he wore over his otherwise calm face.

"Come on, Pops!" A brigand stepped forward from his rowdy crew. "We don't want to tire out yer old bones, we jus' want the princess. Hand 'er over and we'll leave your wrinkly arse alone."

"I shan't let you have her." Frederick affirmed.

"Well, then we'll jus' have to take her. You can't fight us all alone." The brigands behind him now pulled out their weapons. There were several too many for Frederick to handle alone.

"Sir, I'm here!" The young man ran forward, Lucina behind him. He turned and handed Lucina an iron sword. "Do you know how to wield one of these?"

"A-A l-little, I've practiced with Fathe-"

"Perfect!" He turned his back to her and unsheathed a sword that seemed eerily familiar to her. She shook this thought, and she carried the heavy blade with her to Cynthia's side.

"Lucina…" Frederick muttered to himself as the two approached, before turning his attention once again back to the bandits.

"Sister, I'm here!" Lucina embraced Cynthia. The younger princess was joyed to see her sister but still overwhelmed by fear to show it.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. Big sister's come to save the day," mocked the bandit, "and line me pockets with more gold. Boys, let's get to it!" Quickly, a few of the bandits came at the young man and Frederick, while the others held off a few guards nearby.

The two fighters side by side held a formidable defensive against the highwaymen, but were unable to hold them all back. One slashed at Frederick's yukata, slicing through it but stopping short by a clank as it collided with the armor he wore under. Another cut at the young man, who swiftly dodged it and delivered a deft counter. Yet, one of the marauders was able to get past them, rushing Cynthia and Lucina.

"Aaaaah!" Lucina stepped back, pushing Cynthia out of the way of his swipe. She stood her ground. "You're not touching my sister, no matter what!" She held out her sword defiantly. Unimpressed, he swung again. This time, Lucina backed into Cynthia, knocking her over as Lucina's cheek was grazed, opening a small cut a few inches below her eye. As she and Cynthia fell backwards onto their backs, the brigand chuckled.

"Aye, now how's tha' for a first battle scar. Don't worry, li'l one, it won't be your last." He approached them menacingly. Once he was close, she stabbed at him and got him in the leg. "Damn ya, ya prissy princess!" He stomped forward.

...and was stopped by the blunt end of lance slamming his head. A white, pink, and grey blur flew by, delivering the blow to the brigand. "BEGONE!" screamed the queen on her pegasus as she flew back around to her daughters. "I'm sorry, girls. I hadn't thought the brigands would be so close to here." The two princesses ran up and hugged their mother as she got off her pegasus. Behind her, the clashing of metal and armor swelled to a great cacophony before quickly stopping, as the rest of the shepherds arrived.

Sumia let go of her daughters and began to speak before she noticed Lucina's cut. "Lucina! How did this happen?"

"Well, I-" She began to explain but was interrupted by her sister.

"Lucina was helping defend us against the bad guy who got past Frederick and that man!" Cynthia blurted out. "The bandit guy hurt Lucina, but then she hurt him back!"

"That's great! Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Sumia took her elder daughter's face in her hands, wiping the blood from her cheek. "I'll make sure that we get this nice and healed, but I'm glad you stood up for your sister." She smiled brightly at Lucina, who stood for a moment.

"Thanks, Mother, but I owe Cynthia something more…" she turned now to her sister, who began profusely apologizing.

"I'm so, so, so sorry I ruined your yukata. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?" The pig-tailed princess asked her sister.

"Yes." Lucina now looked down at her doubly stained dress, with ice cream and now blood. "By staying with me to enjoying the rest of Festivala." The sisters shared a smi;e

The man watched from a nearby hilltop as Lucina and Cynthia enjoyed Festivala together. They ordered some more ice cream together and ate happily, Lucina took them to a makeup artist who painted pegasus wings on Cynthia's cheeks. They walked to a mask shop bought masks for each other, Cynthia getting an uncanny mask of Chrom for Lucina and Lucina getting a pegasus mask for Cynthia.

The young man, after long enough, removed his own mask and let down his hair. A grown up Lucina stood, looking on at the Festivala celebration below. "I wish I only could have treasured such precious childhood memories. They are all dead and gone, now." She smiled solemnly, looking down at the mask that a dear friend had given her.

Footsteps behind her and the clanking of armor caught her attention as she braced herself. The impact made her fall back several feet before she could regain her balance and hug Cynthia back.

"Lucy, you dummy! We're still here, and we can still make new memories. What are we waiting for?" She smiled at her sister.

"Of course. Let us go." Lucina smiled back, and they walked down the hill, donning masks, to enjoy the Grand Festivala in anonymity and each other's presence.


End file.
